Experiences Buying Foals

[Bree]

3 years ago I bought a foal and the breeder was just fabulous to work with. She was very informative and we were in contact before and after the foal was born. She sent me frequent updates as my filly was growing (typically weekly) including pictures and videos. I didn’t live close so I wasn’t able to visit so these updates were all I had till I could pick the filly up. To this day, I still send the breeder updates on the progress of my filly.

Well this year, I bought another foal (different breeder) but also not local. It has been a very different experience. When I first contacted the breeder, they were great. Very helpful and informative. We had several long informative discussions prior to me buying the foal (in utero which was a first for me). After the foal was born, the breeder kinda dropped off away. I only get updates if I ask for them and even then, they ask like its a huge inconvenience. Now, I’m not expecting high caliber pictures or videos. A quick snap on a cell phone is fine. I’ve gotten maybe 3 pictures since May.

I very much understand that breeders are busy people. They have mares to get rebred, stallions to collect, mares to foal out and these guys have horses in training and lessons to do as well.

It has just been such a vastly different experience than the first time. I’m just a little disappointed as these are the only pictures/videos etc I will have of this baby since I’m not nearby.

I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong (frustrating but not wrong) but was wondering what other’s experiences have been?

[wsmoak]

I bought a yearling and boarded him with a friend for two years. Of course I trusted her implicitly and our horse care philosophies are very similar. I would check in mid-month to see what to add to the board check and she would reply with that info and whatever news there was. And the occasional Facebook picture of him, mostly incidental to photos of her own same-age colt.

I assume there was a contract for the purchase and board for however long the young horse will stay there. Next time, put it in the contract. If you want weekly “proof of life” photos or videos, then be up front with the seller so they can decide whether you are a good fit for their business model. Or factor that into your search – for example if you bought from Willow Tree Warmbloods then you would have plenty of media, there is a weekly blog post loaded with foal pics.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

So I am a breeder, and I will tell you sometimes it gets overwhelming trying to get the cute updates for buyers. Especially if it’s a year where there are a lot of foals, and some foals make it easier than others. This year there are four foals on my farm, and the super friendly cuddly one is massively hard to get pictures of because he literally spends every second trying to be my best friend right next to me. Videos are especially hard for me because I run the farm alone, so getting videos is quite a production unless I just get lucky!

Some people aren’t as tech savvy as others as well, so what is a quick cell phone snap to you, is harder for them. I would just try to communicate clearly to future breeders how much updating you would like and set a clear expectation in your early discussions!

[mmeqcenter]

A friend of mine bought a foal last year, incredible breeding from a “reputable” breeder in New York. The first few months breeder communicated well, but then became extremely hard to get a hold of. My friend paid board for him to stay at the breeder’s for a while because she was going to be at Wellington. After months of increasingly difficult/non-existent communication, she finally got a picture in October and he was severely underweight. The breeder said “it’s a growth spurt,” and my trusting friend took her at her word. Friend had been unable to visit him in person due to COVID.
My friend had him hauled to the farm she was at in SC in November, and he stepped off the trailer dead lame and severely underweight. Breeder insisted he was sound when he got on the trailer.
After xrays and ultrasounds they found a huge OCD lesion that had severely fractured in a stifle. Clearly not something that happened in the last 24 hours. She finally found out from one of the breeder’s grooms (that had recently quit) that he had been at BCS 2-3 for the past several months, hadn’t had his feet done in months (which my friend was also paying for), and the previous April he’d had an incident where he got his halter stuck on a water bucket, freaked out and tried to jump out of the stall, crashing through the stall door and getting hung up on his hind end. He’d been lame ever since, and not a single damn soul told my friend, his owner. Not the vet that did his Coggins and health cert, not the grooms, not the breeder, no one. And of course, the breeder never had a vet look at the injury after his accident.

Thankfully, his surgery went very well, he has a great prognosis for his future career potential, and he is growing into a stellar guy.

Personally, I’d be pretty upset to not get regular updates. Biweekly, at least, I’d expect, so maybe my expectations are too high and I shouldn’t ever buy a foal. I get being busy, but really, it takes five seconds to snap a photo and text it. Or one could put a video camera or their phone on a fence post to grab a quick video. Being busy is no excuse, and if you’re going to sell foals to people who can’t come see them, regular updates should absolutely 100% be part of your standard business practice.

[StormyDay]

@mmeqcenter

A friend of mine bought a foal last year, incredible breeding from a “reputable” breeder in New York. The first few months breeder communicated well, but then became extremely hard to get a hold of. My friend paid board for him to stay at the breeder’s for a while because she was going to be at Wellington. After months of increasingly difficult/non-existent communication, she finally got a picture in October and he was severely underweight. The breeder said “it’s a growth spurt,” and my trusting friend took her at her word. Friend had been unable to visit him in person due to COVID.
My friend had him hauled to the farm she was at in SC in November, and he stepped off the trailer dead lame and severely underweight. Breeder insisted he was sound when he got on the trailer.
After xrays and ultrasounds they found a huge OCD lesion that had severely fractured in a stifle. Clearly not something that happened in the last 24 hours. She finally found out from one of the breeder’s grooms (that had recently quit) that he had been at BCS 2-3 for the past several months, hadn’t had his feet done in months (which my friend was also paying for), and the previous April he’d had an incident where he got his halter stuck on a water bucket, freaked out and tried to jump out of the stall, crashing through the stall door and getting hung up on his hind end. He’d been lame ever since, and not a single damn soul told my friend, his owner. Not the vet that did his Coggins and health cert, not the grooms, not the breeder, no one. And of course, the breeder never had a vet look at the injury after his accident.

Thankfully, his surgery went very well, he has a great prognosis for his future career potential, and he is growing into a stellar guy.

Personally, I’d be pretty upset to not get regular updates. Biweekly, at least, I’d expect, so maybe my expectations are too high and I shouldn’t ever buy a foal. I get being busy, but really, it takes five seconds to snap a photo and text it. Or one could put a video camera or their phone on a fence post to grab a quick video.

OMG that is horrifying.
They brought that little bundle of fluff into the world, and they didn’t even care enough about it to get it medical attention or feed it

[RedHorses]

@StormyDay

OMG that is horrifying.
They brought that little bundle of fluff into the world, and they didn’t even care enough about it to get it medical attention or feed it

With someone ELSE paying the bills! Truly horrible!

[bingbingbing]

OP, do you know anyone nearby who can check on your foal? Everyone is busy. But it is not expecting too much to ask to be sent a pic of your foal every couple of weeks and a sentence or two on how s/he is doing. It literally would take 2-3 minutes.
I hope all is well, but I would be concerned.

[goodhors]

We never bought a foal where it stayed with the breeder after purchase. We paid in full and picked it up to take home the same day. Breeders were helpful with some photos before purchase. Never had the regular updates as experienced by the OP. We visited to see foal in person, check it’s movement, conformation, the dam. Photos can be SO deceiving!! We talked about foal after leaving the Breeder, sent a deposit if we wanted it. Then Breeder got a pre-purchase exam (eyes, lungs, heart) done to check for hidden things and Coggins test, Health Certificate for interstate travel, so foal was ready to go when we arrived.

We only shopped for foals already on the ground. Too many chances of loss for us to consider buying in-utero. Experienced those loss problems ourselves! And foals do seem somewhat self destructive, so buying what is healthy, undamaged right in front of us, has worked here. Our Breeders have been excellent to work with, handling foals to create confident babies, easy to handle, loaded well, wore blankets, drank from buckets for coming home in Dec cold. Made new friends with those Breeders and went back to buy there again!

Sorry about the bad experiences with foal buying some here have had. Stories like that are why we want it personal, buying and being responsible for how our young horses develop. No hidden surprises. Been in horses too long to be trusting of unknown sellers. Even big-names can be blase about how non-show or non-competitive horses get cared for when they are paid for, belong to someone else.

[Tee]

I bought my (now) yearling when he was a day old - immediately after I saw his birth announcement (such as it was).

They were always good about keeping me updated on his training, how he was doing, what he was doing. They lived a ways away, so I saw him once when he was 4 months old, and then brought him home when he was 7 1/2 months old. I was very happy with him and his breeders and would buy again from them in a heartbeat.

[candyappy]

@bingbingbing

OP, do you know anyone nearby who can check on your foal? Everyone is busy. But it is not expecting too much to ask to be sent a pic of your foal every couple of weeks and a sentence or two on how s/he is doing. It literally would take 2-3 minutes.
I hope all is well, but I would be concerned.

I would be too. They have no problem taking your money every month. The least they can do is send an updated picture every other week so you can see how your horse is doing?

In todays world with most having a phone attached to their body 24/7 there is no excuse.

[Bree]

Thank you. It hadn’t even occurred to me to put it in the contract. The breeder was so easy to work with initially, I assumed (and you know what they say) that they would continue to be so. Plus I really was spoiled with my first experience.

[Bree]

I unfortunately don’t. I’m all the way across the country. I certainly get the bills like clockwork though. I did get a picture about a week ago so everything seems to be progressing ok.

[Bree]

I did get an updated picture about a week ago and things seem to be ok.

[Bree]

I’m discovering that breeders are all different. My first experience was similar to yours - I bought my filly the day she was born and her breeder was fabulous about sending updates. I didn’t visit until I picked her up at 6 months (I lived far away) but I never felt uncomfortable or uninformed. That’s why I felt comfortable buying another baby. This go round has just been very different. Not bad necessarily as I know breeders are busy but just disappointing.

[Bree]

I very much understand which is why I try not to bug them. At the same time, every month I get an invoice - so they have time to send me an invoice and can’t attach a quick picture? I did speak with the breeder that I’m not picky - I’m fine with the quick snap on the phone pic candid picture every couple of weeks.

I followed this breeder for some time on facebook (couple of years) and they were always really good about posting updates there until this year. So I get this year may be overwhelming for them and I try to not be pushy about things. It’s just a little disappointing from a buyers perspective. One of the nice things about buying a foal is being able to follow them throughout their lives. Since I’m not close, these pictures are the only things I will have from that period of my horse’s life.

[candyappy]

He looks good @Bree . When do you pick him up?

[Bree]

End of Sept/Beginning of Oct - depends on the shipper a bit.

[StormyDay]

if you say general area i bet someone on COTH would be more than happy to go check on your baby.

[Edre]

@Bree

I don’t necessarily think it’s wrong (frustrating but not wrong) but was wondering what other’s experiences have been?

I purchased a foal when she was around 10 weeks old. Stayed with the breeder until November. Holidays, shipping logistics, and a late weaning schedule meant I paid in July & got her delivered to me in mid November.

The entire time, the breeder was in frequent communication. She initiated with me & was receptive to my emails to her as well. To this day, we’ve kept in contact with one another. I appreciate her insights (still) and I enjoy sharing updates with her as to how things are going, and she seems to appreciate it as well.

One thing that stands out to me with my experience is that it is one breeder who is known for having repeat buyers. I know of at least one person who has bought four separate times from her (and there are several others that have two or three separate horses from her). That was one of the reasons why I was attracted to this breeder in the first place: not just the quality of her program, but the loyalty & satisfaction from people who have worked with her previously.

I think a lot of it comes down to personality of the breeder, what their style & approach is. I hope all are receptive to routine updates and (while I recognize the limitations - foals are certainly not reliably cooperative for cute photographic updates all the time!) I hope that they consider it a part of doing good business on their part, too.